Deadly Blessing(1981)

Deadly Blessing is an early offering from Wes Craven and it is not a well-known movie. It stars a young Sharon Stone and Michael Berryman who was in The Hills Have Eyes(1977) which I reviewed here.

The movie is about a sect called the 'Hittites' whose leader is Isaiah Schmidt(Ernest Borgnine). They are similar to the Amish in that they live in their own community and they don't take kindly to outsiders. Martha (Maren Jensen) has married Jim, who is Isaiah's son, but who doesn't share their beliefs. Jim is mysteriously killed by his own tractor. Martha's two friends come to stay with her. They are Lana Marcus(Sharon Stone) and Vicky Anderson(Susan Buckner). They try to comfort the grieving widow.

Martha is visited by her neighbours and she tries to deal with her grief. Jim's brother, John, takes a fancy to Vicky despite the disapproval of his father Isaiah. Strange things start to happen and the Hittites think that it is the work of an incubus/demon which is living with the three women.One of the cult members is killed and Isaiah is hell-bent on getting rid of the demon.He offers to buy Martha and Jim's house. Martha turns him down and he is not happy. Lana is having nightmares about spiders. She gets locked in the barn and she sees the spider from her dream.She falls down and it crawls on her neck(ugh!). Martha is in the bath when a large snake slides in with her!

John decides to leave the cult and his father tells him that he is dead to him. He meets Vicki and they chat. Lana has a horrible dream about the spider dropping into her mouth. She and Martha are home alone and they are scared. John and Vicki are kissing in her car. She hears a noise and he gets out to investigate only to be met by his former fiancee,Melissa(Coleen Riley) who stabs him and then sets fire to the car with Vicki in it. Lots of things happen together and culminates in the ending which is strange and confusing. I won't ruin it by telling you what happens.
Not a bad film, but certainly not one of Wes Craven's best. I would not rate this as one of my favourites but it is worth seeing. Give it a try if you haven't already seen it. I would give this movie a 6/10.

The Office Season 5 Episode 11 and 12

I hope that you watch this show too as I love this show! What show? The Office of course.Amanda and I like to sit down and watch it and laugh away! Did you see the two most recent episodes? Episode 11 was called "The Duel" and episode 12 was called "Prince Family Paper". The Duel was about how Michael told Andy that Dwight was sleeping with Angela and Andy and Dwight had a duel in the car park! This was a brilliant episode that had these two lovable idiots arguing and Andy drove his car into Dwight who got stuck in the hedge! Everyone was looking out the window at them and Jim struggled to keep control in Michaels absence.Meanwhile Michael thought he was in trouble after being ordered to go to headquarters in the city.They really wanted to know why his branch was doing so well! Naturally Michael had no answer and just rambled on playing for time.This was a classic episode! Some classic lines in it.Lines such as "What weapon?" "My bare hands" "That's stupid I'll use a sword and cut off your hands" See a brilliant scene here!

Episode 2 was about how the company wanted to know about how a small opposition paper company was doing business and Michael and Dwight get dispatched to find out about them.They make up elaborate cover stories and end up getting their client list! Even though they are very nice people Michael knows that they can now run them out of business and feels bad.Dwight has no scruples and says to send it to main office so they end up chasing each other around with the list! Back at the office a huge debate begins about Hilary Swank! Is she hot or not? Half the office go one way and half go the other.As they are split everyone gives their point of view complete with pointers and projections of her face for analysis! That was a great episode too! See the poll question on this blog to give your view!

Overall "The Duel" was the better of the two but this show is very funny and is definitely a must watch! It is based on the English version which is also brilliant.The American Office is a little more wacky as in the stories are more out of the ordinary.Dan Carell is very good as the Boss who thinks he is great and wants to be liked! Dwight and Andy are so funny too!

The Driller Killer(1979)

"The Blood Runs in Rivers. The Drill Keeps Drilling...". This is the line from the poster of The Driller Killer, directed by Abel Ferrara who also directed Bad Lieutenant which I will review in a future post. This movie has the dubious honour of being one of the first of the 'video nasties' which were banned in the UK and elsewhere. It was not available uncut until 2002 but of course, banning the movie made it more popular and now it is a cult horror.

The film begins with a young man,Reno Miller(Abel Ferrara), who is an poor artist. He is living with his girlfriend, Carol(Carolyn Marz) and her pal Pam(Baybi Day) who are getting it on together without Reno knowing. Carol wants him to finish his painting of a buffalo so that he can get some cash, but he refuses as he thinks that it takes as long as it takes. A rock band moves into the building and they play all hours of the night and day. This makes Reno go mental and he begins to kill homeless people with his cordless drill(like you do!).


Reno continues with his art and his painting is finally done, but it is rejected by an art gallery run by Dalton Briggs(Harry Schultz). Carol is annoyed and she leaves him to shack up with her ex-husband, Stephen(Richard Howorth). Needless to say, this drives poor Reno around the twist and he begins to get more psychotic(if that's possible!) He asks Briggs to dinner and he gets drilled and killed! Pam comes back to the apartment and sees what Reno has done and she is drilled too! As the end draws near, Reno breaks into Carol and Stephen's house and he drills Stephen while Carol is in the shower. The movie ends with Reno hiding in the bed while Carol comes out of the shower, thinking that it is her husband waiting for her. Little does she know that all that is waiting for her is a DRILL!!!!!

This movie is good fun and I thought that it was hilarious(though it isn't meant to be!). There is plenty of gore and some great death scenes so I would recommend this to any horror fan. I would give this 8/10. Watch it and see what you think of it!

Lost - Season 5 - Episode 1 and 2

Well..............It is back! One of my favourite TV shows is back on TV and episode 1 and 2 recently aired.What did you think of it? Do you still watch it? Maybe you used to and now you don't? Maybe you are still a hardcore fan like I am! It felt so long waiting around for season 5 that I had to rethink about what had happened in season 4.The two new episodes were called "Because you left" and "The Lie". If you are still waiting to see these episodes and do not want to know about them then you better stop reading!!!!! The Oceanic 6 that got off the island have not gone on to live their lives quietly! Kate is being asked questions about the baby,Hurley is crazy (well we knew that before!) Sun wants to kill Ben,Sayid is doing dangerous work and Jack wants to get back to the island after spending four seasons trying to get off! Meanwhile Ben is trying to round everyone up and take Locke back to the island! Locke was seen at the end of season 5 in the casket but is he really dead? My theory is that it is a scheme between him and Ben to get everyone to go back.He might be still alive as after all he just LOOKED dead! An interesting video here is of the alternate endings that they had for season 4.



As we all know the island was moved at the end of season 4 and Locke is now time travelling by jumping around in time. At the very end of episode 2 we see Ben talking to Miss Hawking.She is played by Fionnula Flanagan who is Irish by the way.Not that it matters! But she is the one who was seen in Lost before talking to Desmond.Yes the guy who says "Brother" in every sentence! Try it yourself! It is a fun way to talk! Miss Hawking tells Ben that he has 70 hours to get the Oceanic 6 back to the island otherwise...........the show gets cancelled! No,really she says "God help us all!" That sounds okay but before that Hurley gave himself up to police as they think he killed people.Hurley would do anything to stay away from Ben(Pictured) as Sayid told him not to trust him.But Sayid is in Hurley's parents house knocked out on the couch.He was hit by a tranquiliser dart when he killed the guys that Hurley is accused of killing.Yes my head hurts too when I think about all this!!! If you missed the episodes then you hopefully are a bit more informed but bear in mind the show is as complex as it sounds!


Well, there were 2 episodes to wet your appetite! Did you like them? I did as it explained about the island moving and gave us some more information.As usual though it gave us more questions too!! Will the 6 get back to the island? Is Locke really dead or just looking like he is? If he is dead will the island bring him back to life? I have always loved Lost even when people gave up on it for being complex.Some of the so called "boring" episodes were necessary so we learn about each character and what path he or she took to get to the island.If you do not know, there is a definite story arc in place and it will all be going someplace.It's not just written on the fly! The writers know the full idea of where it is going so keep watching!!


So,what did you think? Do you love or hate the show? What about the episodes? Were you disappointed with them or enthralled by them? why? Please comment about your thoughts if any! Or you could just look at the beautiful Evangeline Lilly and comment about her!

Needful Things By Stephen King- Amanda's Book Review 1

This book is a delightful read for anyone who likes Stephen King. I have been an avid reader of his for many years now and this is definitely one of my favourites. There are so many characters in this book and so many twists and turns that I can't go into them all, but I will give you a short synopsis of what this novel is about.

It all begins in the town of Castle Rock, Maine where a new store is going to open. It is called 'Needful Things' and it is going to be run by Leland Gaunt. Everyone in town is mystified and intrigued by this new store and they find themselves drawn to it. Once inside the door, they are greeted by Mr. Gaunt and he seems kind and sweet. But, they ignore the sign that he has hanging in the shop telling the buyer to beware. He has an endless supply of treasures and he seems to have something for everyone.

The townsfolk find that once they buy something from him, they are unable to be parted from it.
All he asks is that they play a little trick on someone for him. That's not too much to ask, is it? Soon, every neighbour is playing on trick on each other and it begins to turn nasty. The Sheriff, Alan Pangborn, is finding that the crime rate has soared since Mr. Gaunt has arrived in town. He is also worried when his girlfriend, Polly Chalmers, is visiting Mr. Gaunt, who has helped her to overcome her severe arthritis by selling her an amulet.

Eventually, there is lots of bloodshed in town and Mr. Gaunt decides to close his shop and move on somewhere else.He gives his angry customers weapons so that they can settle their scores with their neighbours and friends. He wants an all out war between the townspeople. He has his lackeys plant dynamite all over town and when this explodes, there is chaos in the little town.
Sheriff Pangborn tries to stop them by reasoning with them and exposing Mr. Gaunt for what he really is. He is exposed as a devil-like character who uses ordinary people by offering them what they desire most in return for his little favours.. He is driven out of town by the Sheriff and the survivors in Castle Rock are left wondering what to do now.

This book is a brilliant read and it is a must for all King fans. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good page-turner that you can't put down. It was also made into a movie, so I will review that in a future post. I would rate this book a 10/10.

Best Werewolf Movie?

I am looking for some feedback today. I want you to give me your opinion on the best Werewolf Movie from 1980-2008. Now, I know that there are some earlier movies before 1980, but I just want to concentrate on the last 28 years so let me know which of these movies you think is the winner of the best Werewolf movie.

1.American Werewolf in London(1981)
2.The Howling (1981)
3.The Company of Wolves(1984)
4.Silver Bullet(1985)
5.Teen Wolf(1985)- Yes, I had to put it in!
6.Wolf(1994)
7.Ginger Snaps(2000)
8.Dog Soldiers(2002)
9.Underworld(2003)
10. Van Helsing(2004)
11.Cursed(2005)
12.Blood and Chocolate(2007)
13.Skinwalkers(2007)

Before you say it, I know that I have left out many movies so if you think of any more that you think are great, let me know. As for me, I like The Howling, American Werewolf in London, Silver Bullet and The Company of Wolves. These are my favourite Werewolf movies. If I had to make a choice, I guess The Howling would be my number 1. That is just my opinion, though, so come on, let me know what you think!

Last House on the Left Remake Trailer

This is just a short post to say that I had heard about the remake of Wes Craven's classic film Last House on the Left and I was sceptical to say the least but now, I am even more sceptical after seeing the trailer for the new movie. It looks totally different to the original and I would say that the story will be nothing like the original movie. So, why bother remaking it at all? Why not just make a totally different film instead? I know that some people can't understand why people like me keep moaning on about the 'classics' and giving out about the endless remakes, but if you have seen the original Last House on The Left, please watch this trailer and tell me that this 'new and improved' version of the movie is not going to a cliched, idiotic, run of the mill horror featuring the same size zero bimbos and predictable guys that we are all so used to seeing. This is MY opinion, so I am just telling you how I feel about it. Watch the trailer and see what you think.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona(2008)

This movie is written and directed by Woody Allen. Most people either love him or hate him. I have always been a fan of his movies. I just picked this one up recently and decided to see what I think of his latest offering. This movie won a Golden Globe for Best Musical/Comedy Picture.

It begins with two friends, Vicky(Rebecca Hall) and Cristina(Scarlett Johansson) who arrive in Barcelona for a two-month holiday. They are staying with Vicky's relative Judy(Patricia Clarkson) and her husband Mark(Kevin Dunn). Vicky is the down-to-earth one and she is engaged to be married. Cristina is flighty and she doesn't want commitment. They are two very different people but they manage to get along well. One evening they are out to dinner and they see an artist who was at an exhibition earlier that evening. Cristina thinks that he is sexy and she tries to make eye contact with him. He comes over to the girls and asks them to go to Oviedo(a city nearby) for the weekend. Vicky is horrified but Cristina is delighted. She drags Vicky along with her and the artist whose name is Juan Antonio(Javier Bardem).

They arrive in the city and they go sightseeing. That evening, he asks the two girls to come up to his room in the hotel where they are all staying. Vicky declines, but Cristina obliges. She is sick, though and they don't get very far that night. The next day, Cristina is very ill and the doctor tells her that she has to stay in bed for a couple of days. That leaves Vicky and Juan to themselves. Juan takes Vicky sightseeing and they go to dinner. At the end of the night, they kiss and end up in bed together. The next day, Juan calls Cristina and invites her out leaving Vicky annoyed. Cristina and Juan sleep together and they move in together quite fast. He tells her about his ex-wife, Maria Elena(Penelope Cruz) who tried to kill him.

One night, Juan gets a call from the hospital to say that his ex-wife tried to kill herself and he goes to collect her and she moves in with the couple. Cristina, Juan and Maria Elena become lovers. Meanwhile, Vicky gets married to her fiancee, Doug(Chris Messina) and tries to forget Juan. She is bored by her life with Doug, but she can't do anything about it. Cristina eventually decides that she has had enough of living with Juan and Maria Elena and she decides to leave and go to France for a while to get her head sorted. Juan and his ex-wife fall apart again and Maria Elena leaves. Vicky meets Juan at a party a while later and they talk. She tells him that she isn't going to leave her husband for him, no matter how much she might want to. He asks her to meet him the next day and she does. He brings her to his home and they chat. Suddenly, Maria Elena bursts in with a gun and tries to kill Juan, injuring Vicky in the process. She decides that she can't have anything more to do with Juan and she walks away.


The film ends with the two women going back to America, deciding to be happy with what they have. This movie is entertaining and there is enough to keep you watching. I would give it a 7/10. It's light watching and is a must for anyone who likes Woody Allen's movies. If you are not a fan of his, then this might not be for you!

American Werewolf in London(1981)

This movie is a good mix of horror and comedy. There are very few films which can pull it off. Feast is one that I think is great too and I reviewed that here. American Werewolf in London is a classic of the genre and it won awards for the make-up. This movie is directed by John Landis, who also directed Animal House, The Blues Brothers and Trading Places.

The story begins with two American backpackers,David Kessler(David Naughton) and Jack Goodman(Griffin Dunne) travelling through the Yorkshire Moors when they are attacked by some large animal. Jack is killed but David escapes and he is taken to the hospital in London. He awakens, not remembering anything that happened. He is told of his friend's death. He gets a visit from poor, dead Jack and Jack tells him that he is now a werewolf as he was bitten by one on the moors. He tells David to kill himself before he turns into one and starts killing people.

David moves in with a pretty nurse,Alex Price(Jenny Agutter) who he met in hospital. She is infatuated with him. He begins to turn into a werewolf when the full moon rises and he leaves the apartment to slaughter innocent people and get food. When he awakens the next morning, he is in London Zoo , in the wolf cage, completely naked. He hasn't been touched by the wolves and he has no memory of the night before.





David begins to realise that Jack was right and that he has turned into a beast of the night. He doesn't know what to do until Jack reappears to him, this time even more decomposed. He has a few friends with him- the innocents that David slew the night before. They urge him to kill himself before more people are killed. David doesn't and he returns to his werewolf form again and kills more people. This time, he is seen by the police and chased through the streets of London where he is cornered. Alex arrives and tries to calm him down by telling him that she loves him. He seems to be responding to her when he lunges forward and the police shoot him dead. He returns to his human form as he dies in front of Alex.

This movie is a cult classic and it is widely respected. It is a good werewolf movie and it isn't silly either. Another cult classic released that year is The Howling and I will be reviewing that film in a future post. I was never really fond of werewolf movies until I saw this and The Howling. Another quite good one is Silver Bullet. There was a sequel to this called An American Werewolf in Paris but it is not a patch on this one and is just a cheap reproduction. Let me know what you think of American Werewolf in London. Did you love it or hate it? Do you think it is a classic?I would give it 9/10. It is a genuine classic and very entertaining.

Straw Dogs(1971)

This movie is a special favourite of mine. It is not a horror film as such but it is a scary movie nonetheless and there is great suspense. A lot of people might not have heard of this movie as it was banned in the UK because of the now famous rape scene. But, thank God the film has been released uncut and people can make up their own minds what they think without being told by idiots who know nothing about good movies.

The movie begins with David Sumner(Dustin Hoffman) and his wife Amy(Susan George) who are moving back to Amy's native village in Cornwall, England. David is a mathematician and Amy feels left out while David is working. They argue sometimes and Amy begins to flirt with the local lads who are working on their farmhouse. She is flirting mostly with a former boyfriend of hers, Charlie Venner(Del Henney). The film becomes very dark at this point with the local men making fun of the timid and intellectual David. Amy sees this and she resents David for not being more manly. They find their cat hanging from a rope. Amy is sure that the men did it but David will not make a stand against them and call them out.

There is tension in the movie as we are waiting for a confrontation to happen between David and the men. They are trying to push him as far as they can and he tries not to get angry, but it is getting harder as they taunt him more and more. Then, they invite him to go hunting with them. He agrees to go and they leave him on his own while the men go to the farmhouse. Charlie rapes Amy and then the others join in. This scene was so controversial because it seems as if Amy is enjoying it and that was what got the movie banned.

David eventually returns, knowing that he was duped. Amy doesn't tell him what had happened. They are at a church social the next week and Amy becomes upset at seeing the men who raped her so David takes her home. On the way home, they hit the village weirdo Henry Niles(David Warner). They take him to their house so that they can get help for him. What they don't know is that Henry has strangled a young girl and the village yobs are looking for him. Mayhem ensues at this point as the villagers and the yobs descend on the farmhouse demanding to take Henry Niles. When David refuses, they try and break in. The local magistrate is shot dead and that is when David realises that they are going to die if they do not defend themselves. David suddenly steps up and he defends his house. There are plenty of deaths and the ending is bleak as David finishes the baddies off. He takes Henry Niles into town and then Henry tells him that he doesn't know his way home to which David replies that he doesn't either. There are no happy endings in this movie but it is a great film.

It is directed by Sam Peckinpah who directed classic westerns such as The Wild Bunch(1969) and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid(1973). It was a change in direction for Peckinpah, but it is widely seen as one of his greatest movies. In my opinion, I think that it is a great psychological thriller and the idea of the timid man pushed past his breaking point is very interesting. It shows that you can only push someone so far before they will react. The sad thing is that there is going to be a remake of this next year. I am really sick and tired of the endless remakes! I give this a 10/10 and if you haven't seen it, do so immediately, before the remake comes out and ruins the whole thing! You won't be sorry. If you have, let me know what YOU thought of it.

The Last House on the Left(1972)

This is a very controversial movie or at least it was when it was first released. It still packs a punch today. It was cut and criticised(what good horror movie isn't?) but it has found a following among devoted horror fans like myself. It is directed by Wes Craven. It is hard to believe that this is the same man who has made recent movies like Cursed(2005) and Red Eye(2005) which are pretty tame in comparison to this.

The movie begins with young Mari Collingwood(Sandra Cassel) who is going out to celebrate her 17th birthday with her friend Phyllis Stone(Lucy Grantham). Her parents give her a necklace before she goes out. The two girls arrive in the city and want to get marijuana. They see Junior(Marc Sheffler) who takes them into an apartment where they meet a gang who have escaped from prison. There is Krug(David Hess), Sadie(Jeramie Rain) and Fred(Fred J. Lincoln). The girls realise their mistake as they are trapped in the apartment. Phyllis is raped as Mari watches in horror.

The next morning, the girls are put in the trunk of a car and taken to the countryside. The criminal's car breaks down and they drag the girls into the woods beside Mari's house. In the woods, the girls are subjected to the worst degradation and they are tortured by the gang. Phyllis tries to escape but she is caught and killed. Mari is left with Junior and she tries to persuade him to let her go by giving him her necklace and he does let her go but she is caught by the rest of the gang. Krug carves his name on her chest and rapes her. She is so shocked by this that she walks into the lake and she is shot by the gang who quickly change their clothes and wash.

The gang show up at the Collingwood's house masquerading as salesmen. Mari's parents invite them in and let them stay overnight, not knowing who they are. But, Estelle Collingwood(Cynthia Carr) recognises the necklace that Junior is wearing and she overhears the gang talking. She puts two and two together. She and her husband, Dr. Collingwood(Richard Towers) go out into the woods and they find Mari who is dead. They decide to do something about the gang. Estelle lures Fred outside and she bites off his penis. The doctor gets a shotgun and approaches the others but he is overpowered by Krug. Junior tries to kill Krug but he shoots himself instead. The cops show up and the Sheriff sees the doctor with a chainsaw. He tries to stop him from killing Krug, but it is no use. Estelle chases Sadie and slits her throat. The couple reunite in their living room and survey the carnage. That's the end.

There is a big deal made about the violence in this movie,but it is no more appalling than what you could see anywhere these days. I think that it is because it is so realistic that people find it hard to watch. It is a long- forgotten classic and I hear that there is going to be a remake this year. I am not sure about that, but I think that you can't go wrong with the original. Watch it and decide what YOU think.This movie will stay with you a long time.I give this a 9/10.

Revolutionary Road Ending

I see that a lot of people are confused by the ending to the movie Revolutionary Road and I can understand why. People want to know what happened in the end. The ending is not very well explained so I will explain it here. There are spoilers ahead so do not read on if you don't want to know what happens!

April(Kate Winslet) and Frank(Leonardo Di Caprio) are a couple who are miserable with their suburban lifestyle and when April suggests they move to Paris, they are excited for the first time in ages. But, Frank decides not to go and April becomes pregnant with the couples third child. Well, April doesn't want to have the child so she decides to abort the child herself in some desperate act to get out of her current situation. She botches the job and she is brought to hospital where she dies of blood loss. Frank is devastated and he returns to his boring suburban life without his wife. He has died inside and that is the way the film ends.

Personally, I thought that this movie was rubbish. I would have liked to see more happen. There was nothing but talking and more talking. I found this film very depressing and just a waste of two hours. Jigsaw felt the same way. That is just our opinion. If you like long-winded meaning of life movies, then you might like this one. As for me, I hated it. Let us know what YOU think. Did you like the ending or did you think it was lame?

Feast (2006)

I hadn't heard much about this movie before I watched it a few years ago. I wasn't expecting much, but I found that it was funny, gory and very entertaining. It is well- made and there are some great comic moments in it. But, it is not strictly a comedy. It is a horror movie with some comedy thrown in and it works. There are a few well-known faces in it such as Eric Dane, Balthazar Getty and Krista Allen.

The story begins in a bar. A man walks in covered in blood and everyone looks up. He tells them that there are monsters coming and that they had better watch out. Everyone thinks that he is nuts and they ignore him until he holds up the head of one of the creatures and he is decapitated by one of the creatures. Everyone is stunned and the dead man's wife comes through the door and tells them to board up the place as there are more of them coming. Despite their job, a small monster gets inside and starts to attack people. It attacks a woman and she is supposedly dead.The monster disappears and they find it humping a deer head on the wall. They catch it and throw it into a refrigerator.

This begins the mayhem that ensues as the people inside the bar try to get out without being eaten. They find that there are more of these monsters and they try and stay alive in the bar as the monsters attack. This leads to hilarity and a lot of blood! The bar patrons are scared out of their wits and they try and fight against the monsters who can reproduce in seconds. Who will survive? Who CAN survive these indestructible monsters? You will have to watch and find out. This is worth seeing.Great fun! I give it 8/10.

Gran Turino Movie Review 19

"Did you ever notice once in a while you come across somebody once in a while you shouldn't have messed with? That's me!" This is just one of the brilliant lines delivered by Clint Eastwood in Gran Turino.He produced,directed and starred in this movie and gives a great performance.Clint plays Walter Kowalski a Korean war veteran who lives next door to a Hmong family.A what? A Hmong family.They are an Asian ethnic group of China/Laos and Thailand.He is the typical disgruntled veteran as he sees his old neighbourhood now dominated by immigrants but he is literally left flying the flag for the old school Americans.At the start we see his wife has just died so he is now on his own with his family thinking he is just a cranky old guy.He sees them as having no respect for the old ways and wants to be left alone with his faithful dog Daisy.

Thao played by Bee Vang is the next door teenager who is quiet and not very confident.He is hassled by an Hispanic gang but his older cousin's Hmong gang led by Spider saves him.They pressurise him into joining their gang and as part of his initiation he has to steal Kowalski's car.It is not just any car.It's a Gran Turino that Kowalski helped build when he worked in the car factory many years ago and is his pride and joy.Unfortunately for Thao, Kowalski catches him in the act and he runs away.When the gang return days later trying to force Thao again to join their gang Kowalski pulls out his rifle to get them to leave.So the battle lines are drawn between Kowalski and the Hmong gang with Thao and his family in the middle.Thao's older sister Sue played by Ahney Her befriends Walt and his attitude to immigrants begins to soften.

Jigsaw's Verdict (10/10)

The story develops probably how you can imagine but is done in a very good way.It never gets too sentimental and Kowalski keeps calling the Hmong family bad names out of habit!! Clint does a brilliant job in this movie although I still do not think it is as good as Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler.The ending was good also and to me it was unexpected.If you are still unsure about Gran Turino think of it as Falling Down 2 : D-Fens Father!!!! It is like D-Fens had a father and how he would be reacting to society!! I would thoroughly recommend this movie as it had a great story and never got too sentimental.Clint Eastwood is always brilliant to watch and it is great to see him in great movies still.

Amanda's Verdict (9/10)

I really liked this movie too. I thought that it was well-acted with a good solid story. I liked Clint Eastwood as the hardened war veteran who feels powerless in a modern world where he doesn't seem to fit in anymore. It was sad but not too sentimental which I liked. I thought that he is a very good director and I didn't even feel the two hours passing which I think is a very good sign.
In short its a very good movie with a good ending. I would definitely recommend this one for anyone who likes a good film with a very interesting story.


What did you think?